(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a component mounter that mounts components such as electronic components on a board, to a warning notification apparatus which notifies an operator of a warning informing that an action involving human resource is required in apparatuses such as a component mounter, and to a warning notification method thereof.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In a component mounting system which manufactures mounted boards by mounting components such as the electronic components, component mounters for mounting the electronic components to the boards are connected.
When the component mounters are in operation, various incidents occur. The incidents include, for example, that the component mounters stop operating when the component mounter ran out of components or when a mechanical trouble occurs, which requires actions of operator who is operating the component mounter.
Occurrence of these incidents is automatically detected by a detection function included in the component mounters. Furthermore, a notification unit utilizing a signaling light or a display panel notifies a warning informing that the actions involving human resources are required.
The operator who received the warning accesses the component mounter and takes actions such as refilling components and recovering mechanical troubles.
For this reason, a conventional component mounter including display function for displaying necessary guidance information to inform the operation of the equipment and operating status so that the operator can appropriately perform the actions has been known (for example, see Patent Reference 1: Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. 9-326599).
Meanwhile, along with the advancement of functions of apparatuses used for component mounting, more diverse information regarding operating status can be automatically detected. Furthermore, various types of information notified as warning or guidance from a facility is now available.
For example, the component mounter can display, in addition to the warning which requires instant actions, or a message prompting maintenance of each unit indicating that the component mounters runs out of components, or the component mounters stop operating due to mechanical troubles or a clog in the pickup nozzle, a warning prompting judgment on the available actions for enhancing productivity by improving the operating status of the apparatus, which is closer to a recommendation.
The former is a type of warning to be notified to operators who are residing the component mounting line and operating the component mounters. The latter is a type of warning to be notified to management operators who are higher level operators capable of comprehensive judgment regarding the process necessary to enhance productivity.
However, in the conventional technology including the technology disclosed in Patent Reference 1, the Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. 9-326599, the warning has been notified using the signaling light and display panels without specifying a target to be notified.
As a result, although the warning which obviously requires a prompt action is appropriately responded upon the judgment of the operator himself, there are cases where the operator cannot appropriately respond to the warning for enhancing productivity, including details which require high-level judgment.
Consequently, there are cases where the warning notified by the function of the component mounter is left and not transmitted to the management operator who was to be notified, resulted in an opportunity loss.
On the other hand, there are cases where the warning which requests a simple operation is notified to the management operator who is not supposed to respond the warning, resulted in inefficiency by troubling the management operator.
As described above, in the conventional technology, there is a problem that the details of warning are not effectively used for enhancing productivity since the correspondence between the difficulty of the action in response to the warning to be notified and the operators to be notified is not clarified.